Baby Food Recipes

I often find myself with a lot of leftover jasmine rice. At the end of the day, if the rice cooker is still full of rice, I unplug the machine, let the rice cool to room temperature and store the rice in the refrigerator. Last night was no exception, so this morning I gathered the cooled rice and made cơm chiên chay (Vietnamese for "vegetarian fried rice") and added tofu for extra protein.

For this version, I added vegetables I had readily available such as carrots, peas and sugar snap peas. You could combine the vegetables of your choice. Simply make sure you don't choose any "watery" vegetables such as bok choy, or the rice will turn mushy and soggy.

Baby Aria absolutely loves fried rice. I never have to feed this dish to her. She scoops the rice into her spoon and asks for more!

Yesterday, we had a lot of relatives over and after dinner there was leftover steamed jasmine rice. I wasn't going to let the rice go to waste; I usually make cơm chiên chay ("vegetarian fried rice" in Vietnamese). That way my husband Lulu and his sisters who are all vegetarians, can make it disappear!

I also happily discovered that baby Aria absolutely loves fried rice. I’m thrilled because this dish is super easy to prepare. Once you know the tricks to keep the rice from turning soggy and mushy, you can make it as often as it pleases you, with whatever veggies you have on hand.

For this version, I mixed carrots, peas, corn, red and green bell peppers, green onions and diced fried tofu with the jasmine rice. I didn't add any egg so the rest of the family could enjoy it as well.

As a child, Maman would always tell us kids not waste food; it's "tội chết" ("dreadfully sinful" in Vietnamese). As an Asian mom, I'm definitely keeping the family "tradition" and teacingh the same ethic to my daughter Aria.

I had a lot of leftover soaked chickpeas after making chole (spicyIndian garbanzo beans), so I prepared a simple chickpea soup. I added potatoes that are invading part of our garden now, onions, a touch of lemon and whatever vegetables I was able to find in the kitchen (frozen corn, carrots and roasted red bell peppers). The result was surprisingly fabulous, especially since it's gluten free, dairy free and low fat. You could sprinkle a few Parmesan shavings for added richness if you like, but since there’s no photographic evidence, I’m going to say I didn't!

I prepared the chickpea soup with the idea that it was going to be for baby Aria, but all the grown-ups in our home enjoyed it just as much as she did. She's old enough to eat meat, fish and other solid carbs but I still prepare soups for her several times a week to ensure she doesn't go too hungry. According to my husband Lulu, she's plenty chubby but I guess through a mommy's eyes, there's always the fear of not providing enough for your baby.